The Promise School Featured in Forbes on the Future of Neuroinclusive Design
Co-Founder and Head of School Brandie D'Orazio shares how small, thoughtful changes create classrooms where every student can thrive.
Please click on the image above to read the full article on Forbes.
We are beyond excited to share that Brandie D'Orazio, Co-Founder and Head of School at The Promise School, was featured in Forbes this week in a piece by contributor Jennifer Palumbo titled "The 'Average' Visitor Doesn't Exist. So Why Still Design For Them?"
The article tackles a powerful idea revealing the "average" person that so many schools, hospitals, airports, and museums are designed around does not actually exist.
When we build for that imaginary average, we quietly leave a lot of real people behind. The encouraging news is that the changes that help neurodivergent individuals tend to make spaces better for absolutely everyone.
Brandie brings this principle to life in the world she knows best, education. As she shares in the article, adjustments as approachable as softening the lighting, allowing headphones, building in opportunities for movement, and using visual and also non-verbal cues give students more than one way to connect with their environment and their learning.
None of these require a massive budget or a complete redesign. They simply require the willingness to design for real students rather than a mythical one.
That is the heart of what The Promise Schoolstands for. Learning environments should adapt to students, not the other way around. Seeing that philosophy recognized on a platform like Forbes is a proud moment for our entire community, and a reminder that neuroinclusive design is not a niche accommodation. It is good design, full stop.
A huge thank you to Jennifer Palumbo for shining a light on this conversation and for the care she brings to reporting on neurodiversity. You rock!
Please take a few minutes to read this wonderful Forbes article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferpalumbo/2026/08/31/the-average-visitor-doesnt-exist-so-why-still-design-for-them/